The latest news and information regarding St. Louis car accidents. Car accident attorney Christopher Hoffmann provides useful tips on what to do if you are involved a Missouri auto accident and how you can work to prevent such accidents from happening.

10/07/2016

Much has been said about the dangers of distracted driving. In fact our law firm has dedicated many posts to the subject of distracted driving, in order to increase awareness among drivers. However, despite all efforts from the advocacy groups, a large number of people still engage in distracted driving. It is needless to mention that this is causing way too many accidents on American roads. Many states have laws against distracted driving, which specifically deal with the use of cell phones while driving. Despite this, at any hour of the day, there are about 660,000 drivers using their cell phones while driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Our St. Louis auto accident lawyers believe that this trend needs to change quickly, or else people will continue to suffer injuries and fatalities at the hands of distracted drivers.

Some states have laws in place that do not allow teen drivers to drive with any passenger that is not their guardian. However, a recent study shows there may be another side to this issue. It claims that it may actually be helpful to have passengers in the car with a driver. The study was conducted by AT&T recently. The study shows that distracted driving becomes less prevalent when there is a passenger in the car. Some of the key findings of the AT&T study were:

-Around 64% of the drivers surveyed were willing to check their cell phone while they were alone behind the wheel

-Only 36% of the drivers will check their cell phones when there is a passenger in the vehicle

-This number drops to just 30% when the passenger is a child

The AT&T study was conducted as a part of the “It Can Wait” campaign. This campaign is designed to increase awareness about the dangers of distracted driving.

Some key statistics

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), annually, as many as 420,000 people get injured in accidents causing by distracted drivers. Also, 1.5 million car accidents occur as a result of cell phone use. Nearly 25 percent of all car accidents involve texting and driving in some form. This shows that the problem of distracted driving is still serious despite all the measures and efforts.

Preventing distracted driving

A few simple steps can help drivers avoid distractions while behind the wheel. The drivers can take the following steps:

-Do not keep your cell phone within your reach when driving

-Do not check or reply to texts even if you are expecting an important message

-If you must answer a text message, you should pull over to a safe location before doing so.

-Understand that speaking to someone on a cell phone even using a hands-free device can be dangerous

Injured by a distracted driver?

If you or someone close to you has been injured in a car accident caused by a distracted driver, you should speak with an experienced St. Louis accident injury lawyer at The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. We can evaluate your car accident case free of charge and help protect your right to compensation from the party at fault.